Rigid airship



K. ARNSTEIN May 15, 1928.

RIGID AIRSHIP Filed Jan. 16. 1925 QM m ' A'ITQRNEYIS Patented May 15, 1928;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

n31. Annsrnm, or mow, onro, ASSIGNOR 'ro LUFTSCHIFFBAU znrrnnm er:-

BELLBGEAIT MIT BESGHRANKTER HA GERMANY.

F'IUNG, on FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, nonmisnn,

RIGID .AIBSHIP.

Application filed January 16, 1925, Serial No. 2,832, and in Germany February 11, 1924.

My invention relates to rig-id airships the hull of which is madefup of longitudinal and of cross members and especial y to-the construction of such cross members.

The cross members of a rigid airship are usually polygonal ring trusses comprising circumferential girders and a wire'bracing. The wire bracing besides stiffening the ring truss in itself against bending stresses serves for steadying the end walls of the gas cel'ls inserted between every two braced cross members, especially so in case of difference in pressure in two adjacent cells. Under such circumstances which will occur for example with the leakage of one cell, the surplus pressure in one direction will cause an inward tension on the circumferential gird-' ers of the ring truss. Such tension stress is one of the most diflicult main stresses to be carried by the ring truss.

My invention does away with the possible occurrence of such dangerous stresses by totally omitting the wire bracing and by making the circumferential girders so strong as-to be practically stiff against bending stresses resulting from the shlps load. The end wall of a gas cell in case of leakage in the adjacent cell will bulge through the middle opening of the ring structure. For the purpose of giving support to this wall, it

thought necessary, a resilient or elastic network may be provided which transmits part of the stress to the circumferential truss.

But as the net work will be chosen so as to allow a considerable pitch of camber with regard to the ring plane the stresses transmitted will be practically negligible when compared with the stresses resulting from the former wire bracing where the pitch of 40 camber was very low and-also an advance tension had to be given to the wires.

Having given a general description of my invention I now want to point out the details thereof referring to the drawing which shows an example embodying my invention.

Fig. 1 is a cross section through the airship showing the ring truss in front elevation. Fig. 2 is the corresponding side eleva tion of a portion of the shi In both fig- 5 ures the outer cover of the s ip and the gas cells are assumed to be taken off.

The cross member A is a ring-shaped truss comprising outer truss members a and inner truss members Z) connected with each other by struts c. This ring truss is absolutely s'tifl against bending stresses. A net or the like at may be provided which is fastened to the ring structure by ropes e, referably connecting to the outer chords a of the structure, the ropes 6 approximately equalling in myself to the example described or shown in the drawing as many to persons skilled in the What I claim is:

1. In the. hull of a rigid airship a longitudinal member and a cross member, said cross member constitutinga ring truss stiff against bending stresses in itself without cross bracing, and a network situated within and fastened to said ring truss and adapted to bulge out of its plane. a

2. In the hull of a rigid airship a longitudinal member and member constituting a ring truss stiff against bending stresses in itself without cross bracing, and an elastic network situated within and fastened to said ring truss and adapted to bulge out of its plane.

3. The hull of a rigid airship comprising longitudinal members and cross members constituting individual compartments adapted to have gas cells inserted, one of said cross members constituting a substantially annular truss in such dimensions as to be stifi' against bending stresses resulting from the ships load without internal reinforcing bracing, and a network inserted within and fastened to said annular truss'and adapted variations will occur art.

a cross member, said cross to bulge into oneof the said compartments adjacent to said cross member.

KARL ARNSTEIN. 

